Meiji-jingi

Some bird observations by Fer-Jan de Vries.

The forest around the large Meiji-jingu shrine in the centre of Tokyo is an unexpected bird paradise. Despite the many tourists and worshippers you might see all kind of birds, birdwatchers and birdphotographers at unexpected close range. This winter of 95/96 is extremely dry, as a result the pond of the inner garden had rather shrunken.


A: Visit Februari 25, 1996. Together with Hosoya-san.
B: Visit Januari 26, 1997, brief visit during lunch of World School Japan to the north of the park.
C: Visit Februari 15, 1997, brief visit just around sunset, together with Neil Wingert.

  1. Mallard Anas Platyrhynchos, Ma-gamo. A,B
  2. Spot-billed duck Anas poecilorhyncha, Karu-gamo.A, C
  3. Mandarine duck Aix galericulata, Oshi-doriA, B, C (A) Some 60 birds around and underneath the bridge over the pond north of the temple. 40 males. Both genders are extremely elegant and beautiful ducks, (B, C): same number, pattern and place!
  4. Little egret Egretta garzetta, Ko-sagi. A
  5. Great egret Egretta alba, Dai-sagi. A
  6. Eurasian sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus, Haitaka. B: high in the sky chased by Junglecrows.
  7. Rufous turtle dove Streptopelia orientalis, Kiji-bato. A,B, C
  8. Japanese pygmy woodpecker Dendrocopos kizuki, Ko-gera. A,B, C
  9. Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis, Kawasemi A, C
  10. Gray wagtail Ki-sekirei, Motacilla cinerea. A
  11. White wagtail Haku-sekirei, Motacilla alba. A,B
  12. Japanese wagtail Seguro-sekirei, Motacilla grandis. A
  13. Brown-eared bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis, Hiyodori.A,B, C
  14. Daurian redstart, Joobitaki, Phoenicurus auroreus. A
  15. Dusky thrush Turdus naumanni, Tsugumi. A,B
  16. Black-faced bunting Emberiza spodocephala [Aoji] C
  17. Great tit Parus major, Shijuu-kara. A,B,C
  18. Varied tit Parus varius, Yama-kara. A,B (A) The three first individuals we encountered were eager to feed beechnuts from our hands. They took a nut, then flew to a neighboring tree to open the nut by some hammering. After eating they returned for more. The great tit only observed this proces.
  19. Oriental greenfinch Kawarahiwa, Carduelis sinica. A
  20. Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes, Shime A Two females (more or less separately) feeding/drinking with the Greenfinches in the mud of the pond of the inner garden, and one male flying near the pond north of the Shrine.
  21. Tree sparrow Suzume, Passer montanus. A,B, C
  22. Gray starling Sturnus cineraceus, Mukudori. A,B
  23. Azure winged magpie, Onaga, Cyanopica cyana:A
  24. Jungle crow Hashibuto-garasu, Corvus macrorhynchos.A,B,C
  25. Parakeet Psittacula, Inko. A Above the trees one parakeet flew sreaming by. Perhaps a Rose-ringed Parakeet,
Back to previous page Last modified: Januari 26, 1997. Fer-Jan de Vries, ferjan@harl.hitachi.co.jp